Chapter Two – Oh Canada
"So where exactly are we Carlisle?" Emmett asked.
"Ontario," Carlisle told him.
"What's wrong?" Jasper asked suddenly, turning to Alice who rode shotgun.
Alice sighed and shook her head. Edward chuckled and hid his grin. Esme looked concerned, "Are you thirsty dear?"
"No, no Esme. Don't worry about me," Alice replied, shaking her head, "It's nothing at all."
"That's not what I heard," Edward snorted, "It's a very serious issue."
Jasper shot Alice another worried glance, prompting her to reveal her thoughts to him, who, unlike Edward, was not fortunate enough to be able to read minds. She simply smirked and turned around. "Alice…" Jasper hissed, "Why are you so upset? And why is that so amusing to Edward? Honestly, you two are the banes of my existence some days."
"Alice," Edward explained, "Has her doubts that the small town we're headed to is any better, when it comes to shopping, than Forks."
Jasper burst out in fits of laughter along with the entire van. Alice pouted, "Why do we always pick such boring places? Why can't we move to Paris or Italy?"
Carlisle, who was driving, turned quickly and sternly spoke, "You know very well why we aren't going to Italy. The Volturi has yet to make amends for their jumping to conclusions and endangering our coven."
Alice groaned, "You know what I mean Carlisle! Why is it that everywhere we go, there isn't a decent mall within an hour? We are too responsible and we spent our entire existence worrying about being revealed and we hardly ever take time to enjoy it!"
Edward sighed, exasperated, "I'm sure there's a logical reason for why we go where we go Alice. For someone who's been around for decades, you are very childish."
"Actually," Carlisle interjected, "The only reason I stick to such small towns is because I quite enjoy the small town people. They're much easier to get to know and most always friendly."
Edward's mouth gaped open, "And this never crosses your mind when I'm around? You know, to give me a heads up? I'm rarely wrong and I don't enjoy the feeling!"
"Edward, dude," Emmett laughed, "For someone who's stuck in his late teens, you're very senile."
The entire van burst into hysterics once again, but this time it was Alice's turn to join in and Edwards turn to grimace. Esme leaned forward and patted Carlisle's arm, "How much longer until we arrive dear? We don't want to arrive too late at night and disturb the neighbours."
"We're approaching the border and from there it's only an hour or so," He re-assured her, "And we don't have to worry about neighbours, wait until you see the house."
Chapter Three – Arrival
"So?" Carlisle asked enthusiastically, "What do you think of our new home? I think it is nearly as large as our house in Forks."
Nobody spoke for what seemed like hours. Finally, Emmett was the first to break the silence, "A church? Are you punking us Carlisle?"
Carlisle corrected him, "It's a renovated church that closed down, just last year they revamped the interior, no pun intended, into a beautiful home."
"Well I think its darling," Esme countered, "Very charming and characteristic."
"Dibs on the biggest closet!" Alice shrieked, and raced up the winding stairs.
"She seems to like it," Carlisle shrugged.
"We do to, dear," Esme cooed, "The style is just a little surprising that's all."
"Seriously," Emmett grinned, "Who's ever heard of a coven of vampires living in a church?"
"That does seem a tad out of the ordinary," Carlisle said, "But we're a far fetch from ordinary ourselves. Now let's unpack and get settled into our new town."
Edward, Jasper, and Emmett gathered up everyone's bags and lugged them up the stairs and Carlisle followed. Esme turned to accompany them but the doorbell rang. She took her time getting to the door as not to arouse suspicions the first day in their new town. The newly refurbished church's front door opened smoothly to reveal a slim, tanned woman who appeared to be in her early forties. "Good evening," Esme greeted her.
"You too, you too," She smiled, "You must be Esme, oh I've heard so much about you! Rumors go around in this town like you wouldn't believe! I'm Kathy McGregor."
"Yes, I'm Esme, and it's nice to meet you Kathy. Please come in."
"So you are the ones who bought this old church. You'd barely know how old it is with all the work they've done to the place. Impressive handy work."
"It really is lovely. Would you like a tour? We've just divvied up the room amongst ourselves moments ago so things may be on the messy side upstairs."
"Oh for sure, yes! Definitely, I'd love a tour!" Kathy exclaimed enthusiastically.
Esme brought her up to the bedrooms and down the long hall way, pointing out the rooms. Edward's was the furthest down the hall and to the left. Emmett got the biggest room beside Edward's and, Jasper and Alice's was next to Emmett's with the biggest closet space and finally Carlisle and Esme's room, the second biggest with an average sized closet.
"What a wonderful house, absolutely wonderful, it's so lovely!" Kristie gushed, "Come by my house whenever you like, maybe for a cup of tea or something, once you're done settling in and all. I live just down the road in that red brick house."
"Thank you for the invitation Kathy," Esme smiled, "I'll be sure to drop by once we're done unpacking."
The two went out front so that Kathy could get a look at the gardens before she headed home. In an attempt to make conversation, Kathy observed, "Nobody had a bed in their room, why's that?"
"Ours were old so we promised the children new ones when we moved."
"So they're being delivered or something?"
"Sure," Esme said too quickly, and regretted it.
Kathy looked suspicious for a moment but shrugged it off and wandered over to the daffodils. "I didn't think I would adore anything more than that house, but this garden is magnificent!"
Esme smiled humbly, thankful that her strange response was far from Kristie's mind, if not gone entirely. Soon after, their first visitor made her way to her car and left to go to the post office.
The house was bustling when she got back inside. Emmett and Edward were carrying up Edward's CD collection and Alice was stocking the bookshelf at break-neck speed while Jasper pulled the books out of the box and handed them to her. Carlisle entered, "Yes, I understand completely dear."
"Pardon me?" Esme asked, perplexed.
Carlisle didn't respond and turned to go into the kitchen, revealing a tiny cell pressed to his ear, "Rosalie, you are responsible for yourself. You are in no way in debt to me or under my command. You take care of Bella and Renesmee now. Say hello to Renee as well."
He turned off the phone and turned to Esme, "Now what was that dear?"
"Oh, it's nothing important. Our new neighbour Kathy just left. Rosalie and Bella are in Jacksonville I see. Does Renee… know?"
"Yes, they are. And of course Renee knows. You know how naturally curious she is. Imagine Bella showing up in Florida in long sleeves, pants and sunglasses. With a child and a stranger nonetheless!"
"Oh her heart must have had quite a workout. So what did Rosalie call about?"
"Mostly to make sure everything is fine and that I'm not angry, which I'm not. I'm just glad Renee's as understanding and hospitable as she is. They don't plan to tell Phil unless it's absolutely necessary, which I understand, and agree with. The fewer humans that know about us is best. The less the Volturi know that humans know about us, even better."
"I see. That's good that they made it uneventfully."
Carlisle went to unpacking their kitchen props: cutlery, blender, plates. Everything they needed to convince visitors that they were a normal, run-of-the-mill family.
Esme made her way over to Jasper and Alice who had by now finished the bookshelf and were onto the DVD case. They finished that as well and made their way to the bathrooms to put out even more props such as hairspray and toothpaste to help them in their human charade. Jasper came into the en suite bathroom in Esme and Carlisle's room where Esme and Alice were finishing unpacking a stack of towels. "Already done unpacking?" Esme asked.
"Down to the last box," Jasper smiled, "Alice, would you like to take a walk once you're done?"
"Sure," She replied, "We're actually just finishing up here too."
"Go ahead," Esme insisted, "There are only a few hairbrushes and clips left. Thank you both for all your help."
The couple left for the Esli Dodge Conservation area that was usually empty in the late fall. "So I talked to Carlisle." Alice began, "And he's come up with a brilliant solution!"
"For what?" Jasper asked, but quickly figured out the dilemma, "Your shopping fiasco?"
"Exactly, so he's sending me and Esme on a week long trip to Paris! Isn't that excellent?"
"Whatever will I do without you?" Jasper asked pulling her closer.
"That's the problem," Alice sighed, "I saw something."
Jasper's playful grin faded into a worried look of confusion, "In Paris?"
"Here," She said, just above a whisper.
"Is it the Volturi? Are they coming? Alice I wont let anything happen while you're gone, I mean, you deserved this trip! They can't possibly mean harm in a visit here after all they put us through in Forks, I mean - "
Alice interrupted, "No Jasper! The Volturi have nothing to do with it! It's all you! I saw it, and I know the future's unpredictable, but why would I even have a reason to see this?"
If vampires were capable of tears, she would have been blubbering. Jasper took a deep breath and said nothing. Alice started to speak again, "I just don't know why, don't know how this would even be a possible outcome for the future. How could you!" She paused a moment, but not much longer, "Jasper," She said serenely, "Would you please stop trying to calm me down? I need my feelings at the moment to express my anger with you."
He sighed, "Go on Alice, sorry."
"Sorry is right! I mean after all we've been through - "
It was Jasper who interrupted this time, "Alice, please, tell me what it is that has you upset without all the dramatics."
She glared at him, "I saw it. You were with… her…while I was gone."
"Who was I with?" Jasper asked, clearly confused and hurt, "You think I would go around with some girl while you were gone? Alice, you are unbelievable"
"That's what I thought about when I saw it! I have no idea who she is all I know is that I want her dead!"
Jasper's eyes widened, shocked at the honesty behind her statement, "How can you want to kill someone you've never met?"
"Jasper, I am not going to dwell on this. I am going to Paris and I am going to come home to you and the rest of our family. As long as I never see her she's safe and this never happened. I'm probably just delusional or something, I don't know."
"Of course you are Alice; your silly predictions are messing with your mind."
"If you say so," She sighed and hugged him, "I guess it's just one of those flashes of craziness. It couldn't possibly happen, of course."
They headed back to their new home, resolved.
